Holding supermajority government accountable not an impossible task, says Rasheed Draman
Rasheed Draman says citizen power is the key to keeping the NDC in check, but warns the NPP risks losing public trust
Holding a supermajority government accountable is no easy feat, but Rasheed Draman, Executive Director of the African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), believes it is far from impossible.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show (ABS) on Tuesday (21 January), Draman outlined the critical role of citizen support in ensuring the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) remains an effective watchdog against the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliament.
“This supermajority…holding it to account is going to be very difficult, but not an impossible task,” Draman said.
With the NDC commanding enough numbers to push through legislation without relying on the NPP, he stressed that only a unified and active citizenry can tip the scales.
“In situations like this, the only way you can hold government to account is if you have the support of citizens, because our support, the massive support that the opposition can get, will be what would help them hold the government to account,” he explained.
However, Draman warned that the NPP risks losing this critical public support. He noted concerns that a growing sense of disillusionment among citizens could weaken the opposition’s ability to pressure the government.
“If already what we are hearing from the street is that this is all going wrong, the NPP risks losing massive support that they could have gained from the citizenry,” he said.
“In the process, we’ll just have an opposition that can always just say what it wants to say, a majority that would have its way at all times.”
Draman’s comments underscore the fragile balance between governance and accountability in a supermajority context.
While the NDC’s dominance in Parliament may present challenges, he believes an engaged and vocal populace could hold the government to its promises and protect the democratic process.
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